So upset...

[emh1129]

So my dd was born on 1/30. She was in the NICU for a week, but at the end of that week, the photographer took her newborn picture as they do with all of the babies, and gave me the proofs & order form on the morning that we were going home (2/6).

So I sent in our order on 4/15.

Baby Prints (now calling themselves "Our 365") deposited my check on 5/14.
I tried calling the phone # on the order form a few different times, but it went to their human resources dept. (always a recording, never live person).

Tried calling the number again this morning, and the number is 'not in service.'

So I googled around and found another #

Called this morning. After nearly an hour, I'm told that there is NO IMAGE of my precious newborn

Apparently they had some problems around that time and images were lost or something. I couldn't get a clear explanation of what happened. Nobody seems to know.

I asked why I wasn't notified- it's been TEN WEEKS since they took my money. My phone number and e-mail address were both on the order. I asked for the manager.

The woman put me on hold. The same woman came back and said the manager said accounting takes the checks automatically. And he said that the research can take a while and they just realized that they didn't have the image.
UM, HELLO? You realized that because I called you!!

I said to the woman, "It didn't take ten weeks to figure that out. I should have been notified."

So I ask why the manager didn't come to the phone. She says she didn't know.. and went to get him again.
So then, after a total of 56 minutes, I am conveniently disconnected.

I called right back. Asked for a manager. I spoke with a supervisor who was very apologetic and arranged for a refund. But she also didn't know why they didn't have my dd's photo.

I am heartbroken. That week was so rough on the both of us (her birth was traumatic- I ended up with an emergency c-section and she had meconium aspiration, so she was very sick. She had to be intubated and taken away- alone- by ambulance to a level 3 NICU). This photo was a bright spot in that week- it came out so cute and we were so happy to be going home, she was dressed in her cute little pink 'going home' outfit.

So now.. I guess I'll never have the photo. I have this small 2"x3" image that says "PROOF" across the front, and I guess that's all I will ever have.
I have the newborn portraits of my older two children framed on my wall, and there was a spot waiting for this one, but now...

Anyway, is there anything I can do? I guess the image is probably lost forever. But I want to make sure this doesn't happen to any other new parents.

 

[Benducci]

If you have the one with proof on the front, can they take that & remove the word proof?
I am so sorry - I can totally relate to being chaotic with a child in the NICU!

 

[Miss Mary Poppins]

I am so sorry. It happened with my second. They lost the images and so I don't even have a proof. I am sure you can fill that spot on the wall with another beautiful picture.

 

[emh1129]

I am so sorry. It happened with my second. They lost the images and so I don't even have a proof. I am sure you can fill that spot on the wall with another beautiful picture.

Yes, we have a lot of beautiful pictures of her. We just don't have a nice one from that first week, with all the craziness going on health-wise for the both of us.

I'm sorry that it happened to you, too!

 

[emh1129]

If you have the one with proof on the front, can they take that & remove the word proof?
I am so sorry - I can totally relate to being chaotic with a child in the NICU!

I don't know.. probably not. It's all done mail-order, though, and I'd be afraid to send the proof to them. I'm sure they would end up losing that one, too!

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

you could see if they will send you a release and try taking the proof to a local camera shop/lab and see if they are able to make a negative and take the proof word off the proof - I took pictures in Hawaii on our honey moon took the negatives to get enlargements made and the walmart lab lost the negatives, Fuji film lab(who runs the walmart lab) had me bring in the original 4x6 and made me negatives and enlargements from the original picture. they might not be able to make an 8x10 size but maybe a 5x7 at least. It might be an option. Sorry to have that happen.

 

[emh1129]

you could see if they will send you a release and try taking the proof to a local camera shop/lab and see if they are able to make a negative and take the proof word off the proof - I took pictures in Hawaii on our honey moon took the negatives to get enlargements made and the walmart lab lost the negatives, Fuji film lab(who runs the walmart lab) had me bring in the original 4x6 and made me negatives and enlargements from the original picture. they might not be able to make an 8x10 size but maybe a 5x7 at least. It might be an option. Sorry to have that happen.

That's a really good idea. I know that while I was on hold, one of the options was to press a certain number for a release.
Maybe I can try that.

Thanks for the help. I know in the grand scheme of things, all that really matters is that she is now healthy & happy, but.. it still burns me up!

 

[Chelley00]

I am so sorry. It happened with my second. They lost the images and so I don't even have a proof. I am sure you can fill that spot on the wall with another beautiful picture.

That's the same thing that happened with us. We have lovely newborn shots of 3 of 4. I finally just found a nice picture we had of newborn #2 that we had taken ourselved, and had it blown up.
I do hope you get your money back

 

[emh1129]

Well, I just called them and they are sending me a release form today.
So hopefully I will get that within the next few days & from there I will try to find a photo shop that might be able to doctor it & print it up for me.
I will keep my fingers crossed that it will work!
Thanks Mommy2JulietJocelyn!

 

[budbeerlady]

I hope someone can help you! I would be very upset.

 

[Jenvenza]

I am so sorry! I would be so upset about this as well.

 

[bumbershoot]

So here's one for ya.

I was very VERY unhappy about being at the hospital for no reason (there was truly no reason except that my pregnancy was basically "against" the law in WA since it was long and my labor was long, and my midwives bullied me incessantly instead of just going home), and I was one angry puppy when everything that happened there happened.

I was in a haze, didn't know what all was going on (was very focused on my boy, trying to keep the interventionists away from him since there was nothing wrong with him), and I vaguely remember the photographers coming in. I had absolutely no idea why they were there and why they were interrupting me, and I very rudely sent them away.

I was booted out of the hospital at 42 hours post-op, for an hour's drive home and walking up 3 flights of stairs to my apartment (the doctors and nurses knew this, and kept blaming my insurance, but they kept saying the wrong insurance company, AND I don't think there is ANY insurance company in the States who won't pay for 96 hours of care post-op).

At some point once home, once I came out of my haze, I realized that I had no picture of him. If I was going to go through the hell of absolutely unnecessary hospitalization and surgery, for no reason whatsoever, I figured I could at least get the obligatory newborn picture...but no, no one had ever taken one.

I called the hospital, just in case. It's an inviolable rule, they said, that all newborns must have a picture taken. It's a security issue, they said.

And yet, my guy didn't have one taken. And they didn't care one little bit.


I haven't even thought of that in about 3 years, but wow the memories that just dredged up.

I'm glad you have your proof picture. It's more than I have, picture-wise, from that time.

 

[2poohbears]

I hope you are able to get your photo touched up after you get that release. I'm so sorry they lost your pics.

I can imagine how you feel. My twins were in NICU for 3 1/2 weeks, an hour away from my home, and I was so stressed during that time that I never even realized they had not taken pics of them - until after we got them home. I managed to take a few shots at the hospital & at home, but, of course, it's not the same as a "newborn" picture from the hospital.

Please let us know if you manage to get your picture fixed! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

[krr126]

Coming out of lurkerdom for this one...

I had an idea... I'm sure someone at the hospital is in regular contact with a representative of this company, surely there is a contract involved. Perhaps they would be able to speak to them on your behalf. If nothing else, I'm sure the hospital would like to know what happened, so maybe they will switch to another provider. Perhaps the same thing has happened to others and you can get the real story? Things are surely in an upheaval if Our 365 just took over Baby Prints. The file is somewhere, they are just too busy/lazy/etc. to put the effort into finding it?

Or, did a copy of the picture wind up in your DD's hospital file?

When you got the proof, did they give you a picture id #?

Good luck, I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get good resolution to this issue.

Kathi

 

[krr126]

disregard duplicate post, sorry

 

[Kanga+2Roos]

I just wanted to give you a big from one NICU mommy to another. I can absolutely sympathize with how hectic things are when your sweet baby has to start their life in an isolette; the last thing you need is anymore stress! Good luck getting the proof fixed up--with the technology that is out there anything is possible! Just make sure you send the company the bill for the picture, okay?